Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. The development of much needed specific antiviral therapies and an effective vaccine has been hampered by the lack of a convenient small animal model for this pathogen. The determinants restricting HCV tropism to human and chimpanzee hosts are unknown. Replication of the viral RNA has been demonstrated in mouse cells (25), (29), but these cells are not infectable with either lentiviral particles bearing HCV glycoproteins (HCVpp) (2) or HCV produced in cell culture (HCVcc) (unpublished data), suggesting a block at the level of entry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,045 discloses Occludin sequences, enhanced drug delivery by administration of Occludin inhibitors, and methods of identifying Occludin inhibitors, where an Occludin inhibitor is any substance that enhances paracellular permeability through specific interaction with extracellular protein sequences of Occludin.